There are lots of stories flying around tonight that the Orioles are on the verge of signing 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz.

Former MLB exec Jim Bowden “tweeted it” earlier this afternoon and a source in The Warehouse told me an hour ago, “Feliz would make a lot of sense for us. I’m guessing it’s going to happen.”

If that’s the case and the O’s wind up signing Pedro Feliz, then I’m guessing the club isn’t actually going to follow through on its promise that 2010 will be “about wins and losses”.

You’re going to replace Melvin Mora with his little brother – Feliz – who hits about 20 points on average lower…and try to make people believe you’re really trying to win?

Lord…

Pedro Feliz.

Of course, he fits perfectly. While a guy like Adrian Beltre would want 3-4 years (like any good player would), Feliz will settle for having his cable TV paid for each month and a one-year contract that can be extended if the O’s feel like they got a bargain.

The O’s are going to turn the 3rd base job over to Pedro Feliz. Wow. Why not give the gig to Michael Buble and he could save them some money on a national anthem singer at the home games?

Pedro Feliz. A lifetime .254 hitter.

Oh, that’s right, waiting in the wings, we have a guy – Josh Bell – who has played as many major league games as Geddy Lee of RUSH and we’re going to sign Pedro Feliz for a year so that we don’t stunt the growth of this super-prospect that the Dodgers kicked to the curb in August.

I don’t understand. I thought the philosophy was “grow the arms and buy the bats”?

Cue the apologists who are about to write: “But the free agent market stinks this year…there’s no sense in trying to sign anyone.”

Tell that to the Mariners who are about to ink Chone Figgins. Looks to me like the Mariners have their own theory out there in Seattle. “Let’s try and improve the team.”

Maybe the O’s will wise up over the weekend and pass on Feliz. Perhaps Andy MacPhail will remember his off-season pledge was to “bring in a bat”.

I get it…Hot Stove talk is just underway, but the O’s aren’t going try and sell us on Pedro Feliz, are they? Really?

The Birds might as well just go ahead and give Ty Wigginton the 3rd base job to start the season. They’re dying to do that, of course. He’s cheap, for starters, and he’s a good guy in the clubhouse and he’ll gladly play second fiddle when and if Brooks Robinson-Bell comes up from the minors.

Pedro Freakin’ Feliz. Or, as they called him in Philly during the post-season, “First Pitch Pedro”.

This season’s gonna be about wins and losses, eh?

If so, the signings better be more impressive than Pedro Feliz over the next month or so, that’s for sure.